The Difficult Plight of the Bee

        What often comes to mind when we think of spring? Usually, it's the cessation of frigid temperatures, the increasing amount of daylight, and of course, the flowers! Flowers have had a longstanding association with the re-emergence of life after a long winter. This relationship evolved from the knowledge that flowers can give rise to fruit and other crops, which are harvested later in the calendar year. Due to this fact, flowers hold great significance in societies around the globe. Since the pollination of flowers triggers fruit formation, the bee is integral for the maintenance of the world's food basket. In addition, bees produce honey, a common flavor enhancer of teas and other confections that we enjoy. Therefore, bees infiltrate many aspects of everyday life.

         Unfortunately, bees have been facing major hardships in the past few years. They have been dying in large numbers with each passing winter, but scientists were unable to pinpoint the cause for this phenomenon. Bees have increasingly been experiencing colony collapse disorder (CCD), in which many worker bees abandon a colony and are found dead elsewhere. This leads to a significant decrease in the number of worker bees maintaining the colony, which often leads to its extinction. Some possible reasons for high death rates among bees were increasing bacterial infection, pesticide use, and even a virus. Nevertheless, the cause of the bees' demise remained unknown.

          Interestingly, a new study from the University of Maryland is providing more insight into the underlying cause of colony collapse disorder during the winter. Dennis vanEngelsdorp and his entomology lab have found that bees are dying from the Varroa mite, a parasite which prefers worker bees as its host. The Varroa mite is opportunistic in that it invades eggs newly laid by the queen bee, before worker bees are able to seal them for their protection. The mites then feast on the blood of the developing bees as well as the worker bees caring for them, which leads to deformities in young bees and the death of their caretakers. With this finding, scientists are hopeful that the death rate of bees can be controlled with pesticide applications.

           Nevertheless, several questions remain. Increased bee death has been observed during the summer months as well, leading scientists to believe that other environmental causes may exist. vanEngelsdorp postulates that pesticide applications and the loss of plants may be contributing to bee death. Because bee pollination is responsible for producing most of the world's food, the increasing rate of bee death is problematic. With time, due diligence in recognizing Varroa mite infestation should allow bee populations to retain their colonies and continue to provide us with the many fruits and vegetables we need to survive.

Bees have been dying from an unknown cause.
Courtesy: www.britishscienceassociation.org